Drilling wells to discover or produce geothermal resources would remain subject to SEPA with DNR being the lead agency, although DNR would not need to hold a hearing on such permit applications. As revised in committee, SB 5470 would allow a single permit to cover the drilling of multiple core holes, the purpose of which is to gather geothermal data, and exempt that permit from Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). SB 5470 – SB 5470 seeks to streamline permitting by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for geothermal projects. HB 1106 would require that the Department of Ecology issue a general permit for suction dredge mining under state water quality laws and/or its delegated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) authority. Under HB 1077, an individual HPA would be required. Currently, suction dredge mining can currently occur under the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Gold and Fish pamphlet without an individual hydraulic project approval (HPA). HB 1077 and HB 1106 – Both of these bills are focused on suction dredge mining.
Among other things, SB 5462 and HB 1611 would (i) require that railroads transporting crude oil and petroleum products demonstrate financial ability to pay for a “worst case spill” (ii) obligate refineries to account for different types of crude oil in their emergency planning and training (iii) impose a public notice requirement if a refinery proposes to export more than 10% of its annual production (iv) allow the Department of Ecology to share confidential information regarding oil transportation with elected local officials responsible for emergency response agencies (v) levy oil spill response and administration taxes on crude oil and petroleum products delivered via pipeline to bulk oil terminals and (vi) give the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) jurisdiction over crude oil pipelines that are at least five miles (rather than the current 15 miles) long. SB 5462 and HB 1611 – These two almost identical bills are follow-ups to the Oil Transportation Safety Act that was enacted in Washington two years ago.
Following up on last week’s post about Oregon legislative proposals, here are some of the mineral-related bills currently pending in the Washington State Legislature:
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